I never slammed the government for Sania's Khel Ratna: Advani

September 4, 2015

New Delhi, Sep 4: Hurt at being misquoted about his stance on the National Sports Awards, ace cueist Pankaj Advani today said he never took a jibe at any sportsperson and his critical remarks on Sania Mirza getting the Khel Ratna were nothing but a figment of somebody's imagination.

advaniAdvani was reported to have slammed the government for Sania getting the Khel Ratna even when deserving cueists were left out of the Arjuna list. But the 13-time World champion cueist insists that his remarks were totally misconstrued.

"I mean what I said about the Arjuna award and the whole selection process about the awards has been completely taken out of context. In fact the last thing I would want to do as a Khel Ratna awardee is to disrespect someone else who has just received it for her exceptional performances over the last so many years," Advani said.

"I think Sania has done extremely well for her country and in fact she broke at the international circuit about the same time as I did, over 10 years ago. I would also like to tell certain sections of the media to refrain from giving their representation of my statements or remarks that may cause damage to somebody's image and to the sport as a whole," Advani, who received the Khel Ratna in 2006 and the Arjuna in 2004, added.

Noted cueists Vidya Pillai, Chitra Magimairaj and Sourav Kothari missed out on the Arjuna Award this year and Advani said that his only contention was that the process of selecting players for the honour should be consistent.

"My point was only related to the Arjuna Awards, because cuesports players have been performing exceptionally well and I was surprised to see none of their names on the list of the Arjuna awardees this year. The guidelines that are being followed for one sport is not being followed for the cue sport players. Who am I to judge, who deserves an award and who doesn't?," he said.

"All I am saying is that if there is a particular guideline or policy then let it be same for everyone. I was not hitting out at the government. People are saying that I am panning the government or panning X, Y, Z sportsperson. I mean who am I? In fact I have the greatest respect for sportspersons.

"Being a sportsperson I know what it takes to reach and achieve at the top. And I know that the government also has been supporting us for so long. Yes, there are certain things and there is nothing wrong in just saying that listen, if the policies are going to be followed for certain sportspersons, all I am requesting the government is to follow it for all sports equally.

Advani reiterated that for him, the contentious issue is inconsistent policy."There should be consistency. I am not saying what has happened is wrong or it cannot be corrected. Ofcourse, it can be corrected. Next year maybe the policies will be followed for everyone and maybe things will be streamlined. I am not saying things should change now.

"Once the awards are given, I would like to congratulate every winner who has received it. They have a lot in their respective sports as well," he added.

Advani, who has been India's poster boy of cue sport for the last decade and more, called for equality in sport.

"I am basically speaking about a very broad topic over here and that is about equality in sport. I am not there is a bias or whatever it is. All I am saying is that if someone deserves it, let there case be considered with hundreds of others.

"But don't ignore someone and put someone else up and say that the guidelines are only meant for Olympic sports, only meant for X or Y sport. It should be inclusive of all sport.

So whether it comes to deciding the awards and whether it comes to handing out cash incentives, which by the way haven't come for five years. Let's be fair, let's be equal," he said.

"The awards are over now, I don't want to take credit away from the people who have received the awards and if someone has not received an award from cue sport then probably they are waiting for another exceptional performance. Probably they will get it next year.

"But I feel bad because I have received these awards and the process was very fair, I still believe that the awards hold a lot of meaning and importance and that's why I am saying as a fellow cue sport player that we are feeling a bit let down. I am just requesting the government to look into it and I am sure they will do it," he added.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Northamptonshire, Jul 31: Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez has tested positive for coronavirus, and as a result, he will miss the British Grand Prix.

The Racing Point driver was absent from the circuit on Thursday after self-isolating following what his team called an "inconclusive" test. Perez then re-tested later in the day and it returned positive.

Formula 1 is following a strict testing regime as part of the safety protocols put in place when racing resumed earlier this month, and this is the first time a driver has tested positive.

"Perez has entered self-quarantine in accordance with the instructions of the relevant public health authorities, and will continue to follow the procedure mandated by those authorities," Formula 1 and the FIA said in a statement.

"With the assistance of the local organiser of the British Grand Prix, local health authorities and the FIA COVID-19 delegate, a full track and trace initiative has been undertaken and all close contacts have been quarantined," the statement added.

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Agencies
January 26,2020

Mumbai, Jan 26: Boxing great Mary Kom has been selected for the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian award. Olympic silver medallist and reigning badminton World Champion PV Sindhu has been named for Padma Bhushan as the names of Padma awardees were disclosed on Saturday on the eve of the 71st Republic Day.

Rated as one of the most successful amateur boxers of all time, Mary Kom won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and has won gold at the boxing World Championships for a record six times. She has won a total of eight medals at the World Championships, the most recent of which came in October 2019 in Ulan Ude, Russia. The 36-year-old is now looking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Sindhu became the only Indian woman to win an Olympic silver when she reached the final of the women's singles event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazi. In August last year, the 24-year-old became the first Indian to win gold at the badminton World Championships.

She has also won two silver and two bronze medals at the World's in the past, thus making her only the second woman after Chinese two-time Olympic gold medallist Zhang Ning to win five medals in the competition.

Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal, who has been the face of women's hockey in the country and played a pivotal role in the team qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is among those who have been nominated for the Padma Shri award.

Women's football stalwart Oinam Bembem Devi, former cricketer Zaheer Khan, shooter Jitu Rai, former hockey captain and coach M.P. Ganesh and archer Tarundeep Rai are the other sportspersons to be selected for the Padma Shri award.

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News Network
March 4,2020

Sydney, Mar 4: Teenage Indian batting sensation Shafali Verma on Wednesday rose to the top spot in the ICC women's T20 International rankings, riding on her stellar run at the ongoing World Cup here.

The 16-year-old Verma takes over from New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who had been the top batter since October 2018 after wresting the spot from West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor.

However, Smriti Mandhana has slipped a couple of rungs to sixth in the latest list.

Verma and England spinner Sophie Ecclestone will go into the semifinals of the event as the top ranked batter and bowler respectively. India will take on England on Thursday.

Verma's explosive batting at the top of the order saw her score 161 runs in four innings, including knocks of 47 and 46 against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. It helped her become only the second India batter after Mithali Raj to top the women's T20I batting rankings, according to an ICC statement.

Ecclestone, who took eight wickets in four matches including a best of three for seven against the West Indies, is the first England bowler to be number one since Anya Shrubsole in April 2016 and the first England spinner at the top since Danni Hazell in August 2015.

Among the Indian bowlers, Poonam Yadav is up four places to eighth after a good run in World Cup.

Some valiant performances from Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu have seen her move from 18th to 14th spot for batters.

England's Nat Sciver is again in the top 10 and captain Heather Knight in the top 15 for the first time.

South Africa opener Laura Wolvaardt has advanced 23 places to 44th, while Pakistan's Aliya Riaz has gained 24 places and is 48th while New Zealand's Maddy Green is in the top 100 after advancing 28 slots.

In the bowlers' list, leg-spinners Amelia Kerr of New Zealand (up two places to fourth) and Australia's George Wareham (up nine places to 10th) have made significant gains in the latest rankings update.

Other bowlers to advance include new-ball bowler Diana Baig of Pakistan (up 34 places to 13th), Shashikala Siriwardena of Sri Lanka (up seven places to 14th), Anya Shrubsole of England (up five places to 17th), Dane van Niekerk of South Africa (up 12 places to joint-22nd) and Shikha Pandey of India (up 23 places to joint-22nd).

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is now the sole number one all-rounder after coming into the tournament as a joint number one along with Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry.

India's Deepti Sharma has advanced nine places to seventh, the first time that she is among the top 10 in the all-rounders' list after also moving up to 53rd among batters.

Australia remain at the top of the T20I team rankings with 290 points and England in second position with 278.

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